Virgil van Dijk has lauded the impact of substitutions made by Jurgen Klopp this term ahead of the Reds’ upcoming Europa League group stage clash with Toulouse.
The skipper took pen to paper to credit the hard work taking place on and off the pitch as the Anfield-based outfit strives to improve upon a poor 2022/23 campaign.
“Our form so far this season has been good and this continued with the win over Everton at the weekend, but it is only October so we are still looking for improvements, with a lot of hard work happening on the training ground,” the Dutchman wrote in his match programme notes for liverpoolfc.com.
“All of these things together – the desire to get better, the graft that is being put in and the quality of the squad – have been a big feature of the first few months of the season.
“I’ve lost count of the number of times players have come off the bench to make a positive difference for us and we saw it again in the derby with the goals coming after the manager had made changes.
“This is what we want. As I said, responsibility for results falls on everyone’s shoulders these days, much more than it did in the past, so if we can carry on picking up points – no matter who is on the pitch – it can only bode well for the rest of the season.”
Whilst it may be too early to predict a significant improvement come the end of the season, it’s fair to say that, already, the Merseysiders have improved upon their prior start last year.
READ MORE: Neil Jones spots two new players in first-team training; both could start vs Toulouse
We’ve won all but three games across all competitions – one of which, a defeat at Tottenham, could have arguably produced a share of the spoils or another three points on the road had Luis Diaz’s lawful goal not been disallowed courtesy of officiating incompetence at Stockley Park.
Still, it need not be disastrous for our hopes of mounting a title challenge this term.
Having a bench capable of impacting each game – a reality Klopp seems to be enjoying thanks to the introduction of five subs this term – will undoubtedly play a big part in any potential return to the top four and tussle with Manchester City for the league crown.
#Ep94 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️